The Old Relics of the Sith
The Sith Order was a dark side organization bent on galactic conquest. The Order existed in many forms and structures throughout history. Originally, the Sith were a humanoid species, enslaved by a group of exiled Dark Jedi. These renegades came to call themselves the Lords of the Sith, or simply Sith. Through the years, it became common for the Sith to append the name "Darth" to their own. The goal of the Sith was to conquer the Galactic Republic and exact vengeance on the Jedi Order. Sith philosophy The tenets of the sinister order were cunning, stealth, subterfuge and most of all, a virtue borrowed from their worst enemy, patience. The Sith believed that the true power of the Force lay not through contemplation and passivity, but rather by tapping into the emotion-filled and hateful energies of the dark side. They believed it was their passion for things—anger, hatred, fear—that fueled their power of the Force. The Sith desired to become stronger, both as individuals and as an organization, so they could achieve a higher potential of being. They compared the passive teachings of the Jedi to the actions of shepherds, while the Sith themselves were seekers of true knowledge and power. Improvement through conflict The Sith philosophy pointed out that it was conflict that lead to the improvement of both individuals and civilizations, because it encouraged people to better themselves. Conflict forced change, growth, adaptation, and evolution. Conflict ensured that the strongest survived. This could be seen throughout the galaxy, as stronger organisms flourished and weaker ones died off. The Sith believed that this same philosophy, one not invented by them but used by the universe itself, was the path towards true perfection. Without conflict there would be only stagnation. They saw the teachings of the Jedi as a crux that prevented change and improvement. The Sith believed that any opportunity, even an unsure one, must be snatched. They believed that beings only deserved what they were strong enough to take and protect, and that those too weak to stand against the strong deserved their fate. The way of the Sith was for the pupil to outshine the master and the stronger Sith to take the lead, often through the destruction of one former partner. Some, but not all, Sith believed that morality was but an obstacle to overcome, because it got in the way of a Sith's ability to recognize and grasp opportunities. Some Jedi who left the Order to join the Sith felt that their mettle and worth was tested far more often as a Sith than as a padawan learner, and that this made them stronger in a shorter amount of time. It is interesting to note that use of the dark side of the Force sometimes left the user horribly disfigured. Some Force users argued that this was because the dark side corrupted those who use it, as it was an improper use of the Force, but a few Sith believed that the true power of the Force was simply too much for mere mortal bodies to withstand, and took disfigurement as a sign of their increased capability. Emotion The Sith did not think of emotions as a negative force but rather a tool or path to power. Whereas a Jedi would teach that fear was a negative emotion that must be overcome, a Sith would point out that every living creature was subject to fear, and that without feelings of fear that told it to run or feelings of anger that told it to fight the creature would probably die. The Sith did not consider themselves beyond the need of simple passions, but recognized the key role certain passions played in channeling the power of the Force. The Sith felt that Jedi teachings treated the Force as a burden where users must guard against weakness and evil. The Sith preferred to think of the Force as a gift. They celebrated the Force and used it to acquire power over others because they felt that was how the Force was meant to be. The Sith challenged and embraced the passions that lay within them and used them to realize their true potential. Many Sith described this goal as "being what they were meant to be." Like Jedi, love was a dangerous emotion to the Sith. Some Jedi discouraged love because it led to attachment. The Sith taught that love could be a beneficial emotion because it often lead to anger or hatred, which fueled a Sith's power in the Force. Often, however, love lead to mercy, which was one of the worst emotions a Sith could have, as it displayed weakness. The Sith did not believe in showing mercy to those weaker than you, as that meant beings that were unfit still survived. The only way to ensure the survival of the strong was for the strong to prove their power by removing obstacles that stood in their path, including, if necessary, those weaker than them. Contrary to popular belief, removal did not always mean death, though many Sith were ruthless and considered leaving potential opponents alive to be a weakness. The Sith code The Sith Code was the mantra that reinforced the core beliefs of the Sith Order. : Peace is a lie, there is only passion. : Through passion, I gain strength. : Through strength, I gain power. : Through power, I gain victory. : Through victory, my chains are broken. : The Force shall free me. History of the Sith Timeline of major events in Sith history Main article: History of the Sith * c. 24,500 BBY - 24,400 BBY - Xendor and students leave the Jedi Order in The Great Schism * 7,000 BBY - Banished from known space, the Dark Jedi arrive on Korriban after The Hundred-Year Darkness, where they discover the Sith people. * 5,000 BBY - Naga Sadow defeated in The Great Hyperspace War * c. 4,400 BBY - Jedi Knight Freedon Nadd falls to the dark side and is trained by the awakened Naga Sadow * c. 4,000 BBY - Exar Kun finds and destroys the spirit of Freedon Nadd. Kun takes fallen Jedi Ulic Qel-Droma as his first apprentice and begins the Great Sith War. * c. 3,960 BBY - Jedi Knight Revan, hero of the Mandalorian Wars, discovers a deserted academy belonging to the old Sith Empire and forms a new sect of Sith. * 3,959 BBY – 3,956 BBY - Revan builds an army using the Star Forge and makes war upon the Republic. Many more Jedi fall to the dark side before Revan eventually returns to the light. * 3,956 BBY - 3,951 BBY - Darth Traya, Darth Nihilus and Darth Sion wage a shadow war upon the devastated Republic, but are eventually defeated by the Jedi Exile. * c. 2,000 BBY - Darth Ruin, another fallen Jedi, forms a new Sith order and begains the New Sith Wars. Lasting a millennium, by 1,466 BBY the Sith conquer all of known space outside the Colonies. * 2,000 BBY - 1,000 BBY - The Sith prove to be their own undoing, as internal struggles for power destroy their organization. Lord Kaan unites the survivors under the Brotherhood of Darkness and grants the title of "Dark Lord" to many Sith. * 1,000 BBY - Both Jedi and Sith armies are destroyed the Battle of Ruusan, leaving Darth Bane the only survivor. To ensure the continued survival of the Sith, Bane institutes the Rule of Two. * c. 32 BBY - The Sith go into hiding for nearly one thousand years, resurfacing again when Darth Sidious orchestrates the Battle of Naboo. * 22 BBY- 19 BBY - Darth Sidious and Darth Tyranus iniciate the Clone Wars, and many Jedi die or turn to the dark side. * 19 BBY - Darth Vader becomes Sidious' new apprentice. The Galactic Empire is established by Darth Sidious. * 19 BBY - 1 BBY - Darth Sidious takes efforts to eradicate the Jedi in the Great Jedi Purge. * 4 ABY - Vader is turned back to the light side of the Force by Luke Skywalker, resulting in the deaths of both Sidious and Vader. * 11 ABY - Last known death of Palpatine, presumed extinction of the Sith Order. * 11 ABY+ - Rumors abound of a last Sith, a Emperor's Hand, named Lumiya. However, such rumors have not yet been confirmed. * 1,000 ABY - Darth Nihilus, millenia after his dreaded reign, resurfaces to challenge the New Republic. He ultimately succeeds, but by the slimist of margins, also ultimately fails. The Sith go into a deep exile, many are converted after seeing the falility of their ways. * 5,000 ABY - Reports of dark side practitioners occur in many far-off parts of the galaxy. Rumor has it the Sith are rebuilding their empire on the shrouded, anti-Force planet of Myrkr. Sith Ranks ]] Sith Lord(Darth) A Dark Lord of the Sith. They are the true wielders of the Dark Side and are the most powerful of the order. There are only two of these, no more no less. Lack of respect leads to death. 'Darth Masters' are the strongest in the Order. 'Darth Apprentices' are the second strongest in the Order. They are loyal only to their Master and will do anything for him/her. The alias that they use is either chosen by themselves or by the Master. Sith Master Powerful Sith practitioners second only to the Lords. They oversee the order's students and history, as well as learning new feats of terror. They are the most respected in the order. Sith Knight Third most powerful students in the order. They serve as guards and masters to lower Sith. Are deeply respected. Sith Apprentice Sith Initiates that were taken under the wing of a higher master. They are very strong in the Force. Respect may vary. Sith Initiates and Hopefuls The lowest Sith student. Many have barely been converted to the Dark Side of the Force and left the Jedi. They now seek to improve their power. Respect may vary.